A Block 70 F-16D of the Royal Bahraini Air Force. USAF. USAF
Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the maiden flight of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, which occurred on January 20, 1974. The 50 years of F-16 operations that have followed include more than 4,500 aircraft being built and the almost continuous application and testing of emerging capabilities to keep the Fighting Falcon highly relevant over the battlefield.

A lot happens every day. Alliances shift, leaders change, and conflicts erupt. With In Brief, we’ll help you make sense of it all. Each week, experts will dig deep on a single issue happening in the world to help you better understand it. *** After a surge in gang violence in Ecuador in the first few days of the new year, the country’s president, Daniel Noboa, declared a state of emergency on Jan. 9, 2023, and said that there is now an “internal armed conflict” in the country. Since then, over 2,700 people have been arrested.

Germany which has already donated $6.5bn to Ukraine, and committed to $5.4bn by 2028, announced at teh latest meeting a further $8.2bn.

Crash capture via X/Il-76 Credit Aktug Ates via Wikicommons (GNU 1.4)
Details are still very limited, but a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 Candid transport aircraft crashed today in the Belgorod region in the west of the country, bordering Ukraine. Unconfirmed reports from Russia and Ukraine claim that Ukrainian air defenses were responsible for bringing the aircraft down, but that cannot be independently verified at this stage. Russia, for its part, alleges that the aircraft was carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war when it was deliberately brought down.

The tracked RCV ordered by the UAE Armed Forces is likely to be Milrem’s Type-X. (Janes/Sonny Butterworth)
The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE’s) Edge Group announced on 24 January during the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (UMEX) 2024 show held in Abu Dhabi that the UAE Ministry of Defence had placed an order for unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) made by its Milrem Robotics subsidiary.
Edge said in a statement that the contract covers 20 tracked robotic combat vehicles (RCVs) that it did not identify and 40 THeMIS UGVs.

Hades Defense Systems Lamia UAV. (Janes)
Bulgarian defence and security systems developer Hades Defense Systems revealed details of its new Lamia developmental multipurpose unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) during the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (UMEX) 2024 in Abu Dhabi.

Speaking to
Janes
on 23 January, Yordon Yordanov, regional manager at Hades, said the Lamia is being designed as a hybrid-propulsion multipurpose UAV for both civil and defence applications. Hades began working on the platform in 2023.

Strategy acknowledges collapse of domestic manufacturing but doesn’t acknowledge the real villain: Globalism (now controlled by China)
Hooray – the new (and first) Defense Industrial Policy Strategy is here.
Strategies provided the pathway from policy to implementation and are key documents to articulate a logical sequence of steps to successful action action action. They must be intellectually visual and actionable by stating the major muscle movements to implement the text.

The State Defence Council of Lithuania has approved the expansion of its Armed Forces and the procurement of the Leopard 2 Tank platform.

Seen in US Marine Corps service, the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter will shortly be flown by the Nigerian Air Force also. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has confirmed the sale of the Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter to Nigeria, with a related contract notification posted on 19 December.
Having been approved for the sale of 12 helicopters in 2022, Nigeria’s procurement was confirmed with the announcement that Northrop Grumman had been awarded a USD7.

Here is the ‘Dream Team’ at Boeing contractor Spirit Aerosystems that made the door plug that blew out in mid flight

What the Hades is going on at Boeing?
Let’s point out some facts.

The Pentagon’s Chief Information Officer John Sherman officially formed a Customer Experience Officer (CXO) Portfolio Management Office within his organization to improve the delivery of IT products for defense personnel and enhance their interactions on associated digital platforms.
“This office will establish a data-driven approach, informed by network and user device performance data and continuous customer feedback, to improve the [Defense Department’s] user experience (UX),” Principal Deputy DOD CIO Leslie Beavers told DefenseScoop in an email on Tuesday.

Marom, 21, has just spent two weeks fighting in Gaza, one of the first female Israeli soldiers to participate in the campaign in this strip of land.

The ground offensive campaign that Israel has been conducting in the Gaza Strip for nearly 4 months represents a change in the country’s army’s attitude towards women.
“For all the female soldiers fighting in Gaza, this is their first time in combat,” Marom said. “We see a change in the military’s attitude, as they accept women participating in combat.

The local production of GMLRS munitions in Australia is being analysed by GlobalData in light of the $24.5m agreement.

Bloomberg
RTX Corp.

DefOne
Lockheed says the TR-3 upgrade, due last year, has slipped to third quarter of 2024.

Congressional Research Service
From the report
The current and planned size and composition of the Navy, the annual rate of Navy ship procurement, the prospective affordability of…

Harris, Defense N.
WASHINGTON ― A growing number of bipartisan lawmakers is questioning President Joe Biden’s legal authorities to conduct strikes on Yemen’s Houthis.

Francis P.

Germany is to donate six of its retired Sea King helicopters to Ukraine. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
Germany has pledged to send Westland Sea King helicopters to Ukraine as part of a wider raft of military support for Kyiv.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius made the announcement on 23 January, saying that six Sea King helicopters would be sent.
“The Sea King is a proven and robust helicopter that will help the Ukrainians in many areas, from reconnaissance over the Black Sea to transporting soldiers.

Initial contract awards at UMEX 2024 went to a mix of local and overseas companies, particularly in the area of counter-UAS systems.

Why, despite increased spending and the threat from Russia, has the UK military declined to its smallest size in centuries?

The Yugoimport Senka UAV can carry two 60 mm warheads on the hardpoints provided under its wings. (Janes/Amit Kalra)
Serbian defence manufacturer Yugoimport (J P Jugoimport-SDPR) displayed the Senka and Mosquito unmanned aerial systems (UASs) at the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (UMEX 2024) held from 23 to 25 January in Abu Dhabi.
The Senka is a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) being developed for conventional attack and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) roles.

According to Yugoimport, the Senka has autonomous navigation and guidance capability.

The F100 Karma UAV is being developed to intercept Class I and II UAVs. (Janes/Amit Kalra)
Wedrones – a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based integrated aerial solution provider – exhibited its new F100 Karma unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) during the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (UMEX) 2024 in Abu Dhabi.

The Netherlands is enhancing its military capabilities through a MLU for the CV90, aiming to increase firepower and survivability.

The United States announced it began putting the B-21 Raider stealth bomber into production two months after this aircraft model took off.

“Based on the results of ground and air tests and the development team’s plans, I have authorized the start of production of B-21 Raider bombers in small quantities,” William LaPlante, Deputy Secretary The US Defense is in charge of purchasing weapons, it was said on January 23.
Mr. LaPlante did not disclose specific details about the contract to produce B-21 bombers, such as contract value, expected output or completion time.

South Korea announced that North Korea launched a series of cruise missiles into the Yellow Sea, but the weapon parameters have not been determined.

“We discovered a series of cruise missiles launched by North Korea toward the Yellow Sea. South Korean and US intelligence officials are analyzing their parameters,” the Council said. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
This is North Korea’s second missile launch this year, after the first test of a long-range ballistic missile using solid fuel on January 14.
North Korea has not commented on the information.

With Washington focused on the threat to international shipping from Yemen, trouble is brewing on the other side of the Red Sea as well. On Jan. 1, 2024, Ethiopia and Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia that proclaims independence, signed a memorandum of understanding that allows Ethiopia direct access to the Red Sea in return for officially recognizing Somaliland’s independence. The memorandum has inflamed regional tensions among multiple states in the already volatile Horn of Africa.

NATO announced signing a contract to buy 155 mm of artillery shells worth more than 1 billion USD, part of which will be transferred to Ukraine.

“The war in Ukraine has become a conflict revolving around ammunition,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg commented on January 23. “It is important for coalition members to stock up on ammunition while continuing to support Ukraine.”
NATO signed a deal to buy 155 mm artillery shells worth 1.1 billion EUR (about 1.

TCG
Istanbul
(F 515) was commissioned into service on 19 January.
(C D Yaylali)
Three new ships and an unmanned surface vessel (USV) joined the Turkish Navy’s inventory during a commissioning ceremony held at Sefine Shipyard in Yalova on 19 January, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense(MND) confirmed the same day.

The Northrop Grumman B-21, shrouded in secrecy. (Northrop Grumman)
The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider has entered low-rate initial production (LRIP), according to a statement by the US Department of Defense’s Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante.
“Production of the B-21 ‘Raider’ stealth bomber is moving forward,” LaPlante said in a 22 January statement. “This past fall, based on the results of ground and flight tests and the team’s mature plans for manufacturing, I gave the go-ahead to begin producing B-21s at a low rate.

Trials of the Challenger 3 MBT, featuring Epsom armour, the Trophy-MV APS, a fully digitised turret, and a 120 mm smoothbore gun, will begin in the coming weeks. (RBSL)
The first prototype of the Challenger 3 main battle tank (MBT) will begin trials in the coming weeks, Janes learnt on the first day of Defence iQ’s International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2024 conference being held in London from 22 to 25 January.

Brazil is evaluating two Centauro II armoured vehicles (shown at Eurosatory 2018). (Janes/Patrick Allen)Defence iQ’s International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2024 conference being held in London from 22 to 25 January received an update on Brazil’s plans to upgrade its armoured forces.

Rheinmetall’s HX3 10×10 SPH conducted trials in Bovington in 2023 under the UK’s MFP programme. (Rheinmetall)Rheinmetall’s HX3 10×10 truck equipped with an automatic remote-controlled artillery turret conducted trials for the UK’s Mobile Fires Platform (MFP) programme in Bovington in 2023,
Janes
learnt at the International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2024 conference being held in London from 22 to 25 January.
The 52 tonne system with a 25 m turning radius conducted trials including climbing a 31° slope, traversing a 2.3 m gap, and fording in 1.5 m deepwater.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket launches the Victus Nox mission on 14 September 2023. (Firefly Aerospace)
The US Space Force (USSF) intends to conduct at least one additional tactically responsive space launch to the two already publicised, following Victus Nox – launched on 14 September 2023 – and the upcoming Victus Haze mission with a third flight, dubbed Victus Sol, USSF Vice Chief of Space Operations General Michael Guetlein said on 19 January at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

In August 2022, the Army launched the Future Soldier Preparatory Course. This is an innovative, new program that started as an experiment to help young men and women qualify both physically and academically for service in the United States Army.
The Future Soldier Preparatory Course: Academic Track
The preparatory course consists of two tracks — fitness and academic. The academic track focuses on improving word knowledge, reading comprehension, arithmetic reasoning and test-taking skills.

Unknown author
On January 19, Turkey’s first-in-class frigate TCG Istanbul entered into service with the country’s Navy during a ceremony held at Sefine Shipyard in Yalova Province, northwest Turkey. The introduction of the vessel marks a significant moment for the country, given that it constitutes Turkey’s first nationally-developed frigate. This also comes amid a relatively remarkable modernization effort based on locally sourced hardware that spans the services within Turkey’s armed forces in recent years.

Introduction: The Red Sea Predicament
In recent times, Houthi raids in the Red Sea have emerged as a significant threat to Chinese national interests. However, despite the escalating dangers, China remains cautious about direct intervention due to various factors, including limited resources and a commitment to a neutral stance.
The International Call and China’s Response
The US Urges Action
The United States, concerned about the impact of Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, has called for international collaboration.

U.S. forces struck three facilities used by Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Tuesday. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniel Proper).
U.S. forces struck three facilities used by Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Tuesday, as American troops based in the country continue to come under rocket and missile attacks.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen.

PHOTO © 2024 PLANET LABS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION / @detresfa_
Satellite imagery The War Zone has obtained from Planet Labs shows the results of U.S. and U.K. strikes overnight on the main airport in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. The airport was among the locations targeted as part of ongoing U.S.-led efforts to degrade the capabilities of Iranian-backed Houthi militants, particularly the group’s ability to launch missile and drone attacks on ships in and around the Red Sea.

Marine veteran Thomas Gray Harris died in Ukraine on Nov. 24, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Richard B. Harris.).
Marine veteran Thomas Gray Harris delivered a baby during a medical internship in Ghana, helped fellow veterans access services from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and officiated a Marine buddy’s wedding after becoming an “internet minister.”
Harris filled his life, his parents told Task & Purpose, with acts of compassion.
It was this protective instinct that prompted him to travel to Ukraine in August and join the country’s International Legion, they said.

Soldiers with the 1st Ranger Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, inspect their radios during the Rapid Removal of Excess Pilot (R2E) at Fort Stewart, Georgia, Nov. 9, 2023. According to the Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, the U.S. Army is moving into a new era, and by getting rid of the excess equipment during the R2E, they are creating space for more modernized weapons. (U.S. Army Photo by Pfc. Rebeca Soria).

President Joe Biden’s nominee to be the first-ever assistant secretary of defense for science and technology told lawmakers that development of hypersonic weapons and quantum computing will be top priorities if she’s confirmed.
She also pledged to improve the department’s partnerships with small businesses in order to better integrate new capabilities into the services.

Certain nations participating in the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) are launching six new “capability coalitions” to help strengthen the Ukrainian military’s air force, ground-based air defenses, artillery, maritime security, de-mining and information technology assets as it continues to combat Russian aggression, according to senior Pentagon officials.

Defense Department leaders are eager for high-energy lasers to get fielded in larger numbers. However, introducing these types of systems will bring significant command-and-control challenges — particularly when they’re facing more advanced threats, according to the Pentagon’s principal director for directed energy.

U.S. Air Force Trainees from the 326th Training Wing low crawl during an obstacle course as part of the Primary Agile Combat Employment Range Forward Operations Readiness Generation Exercise, or PACER FORGE, August 8, 2023, on Joint Base San Antonio-Chapman Annex. (Airman 1st Class Erin V. Currie/U.S. Air Force).
U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training is any airman’s first step into the massive world of the Air Force. From security forces to combat controllers, logisticians to mechanics, all airmen start their careers at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.

Air National Guard
Air National Guard MQ-9 Reaper drones were armed and ready, if they had been required, to sink a rocket booster off the coast of California as part of a missile defense test last month. The Reapers were ostensibly on station to help ensure the booster, which was from a Ground-Based Interceptor, slipped beneath the waves and did not become a hazard to maritime traffic.
The two California Air National Guard MQ-9 Reapers that supported the Missile Defense Agency’s test in December 2023.

Andrew Kanei
In the wake of successful test flights of the most advanced combat aircraft ever to be built, the Pentagon says Northrop Grumman has been awarded a low-rate initial production contract for the B-21 Raider stealth bomber
However, few details are being released about that award, which was first reported on by Bloomberg.
The B-21 seen during its maiden flight from Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, in November 2023. (Andrew Kanei photo) Andrew Kanei
“Production of the B-21 ‘Raider’ stealth bomber is moving forward,” Dr.

Roi-Namur, which is part of U.S. Army Garrison Kwajalein sustained massive damage after it was struck by huge waves on Jan. 20, 2024. (Twitter screenshot and Army photo).
The island of Roi-Namur, which is part of U.S. Army Garrison Kwajalein Atoll, was recently struck by huge waves caused by rough weather, resulting in extensive damage that could take months to repair, according to the Army.
U.S. Army Garrison-Kwajalein Atoll supports the U.S.

Defence Sciense and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)
The prototype for the British Army’s next main battle tank, the Challenger 3, has been revealed. Following its completion in the factory in Telford, England, the new tank is scheduled to begin trials soon, ahead of planned service entry in 2027.
While the United Kingdom currently plans to convert a relatively small number of Challenger 2s — just 148, including eight prototypes — into the new version, the situation could have been very different.

The UK Ministry of Defence will undergo its Boxer mechanised infantry vehicle qualification trials while also feeling the pinch in supply.